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HOMEBREW Digest #3978
HOMEBREW Digest #3978 Tue 02 July 2002
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
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Contents:
Mosquito attractant ("Joseph S. Gaglio")
Wiring HELP!!! ("Aaron Gallaway")
Cornmeal ("John Misrahi")
GFCI clarification ("Michael Maag")
boil time, 240 Volts, Boddington's, refractometer ("Dave Burley")
RE: RIMS Heating Elements ("Steven Parfitt")
"Making" beer ready for the 4th (Marc Sedam)
US Electrical System - 240V (Calvin Perilloux)
4th Annual Palmetto State Brewers' Open ("H. Dowda")
Gypsum & Bottle Chilling ("Hedglin, Nils A")
SG & Alcohol As of 7/1/02 ("Pete Calinski")
Partial mash modified batch sparge (John Sarette)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 02:39:25 -0400
From: "Joseph S. Gaglio" <jgaglio@tampabay.rr.com>
Subject: Mosquito attractant
> ...mosquito landing[s] on volunteers significantly increased after
> beer ingestion compared with before ingestion...drinking alcohol
> stimulates mosquito attraction...
>
> That mosquitoes might be attracted to ethanol is an interesting concept.
> Of course, another study may well come out next month refuting this
> correlation, which seems compellingly circumstantial but not necessarily
> proven causal.
>
The breakdown products of consumed alcohol include H2O and CO2. Carbon
dioxide is what mosquitos home in on.
joe
- --
Yours in truth,
Joseph S. Gaglio MHS
http://members.tripod.com/~The_Holeyman/TheHoleymansHome.html
"They counted on being able to punish them into being better, on being
able to inspire them into being better, on being able to educate them
into being better. And after ten thousand years of trying to improve
people,
without a trace of success -- they wouldn't dream of turning their
attention elsewhere."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 05:35:10 -0700
From: "Aaron Gallaway" <baseball_junkie@hotmail.com>
Subject: Wiring HELP!!!
Electronics gurus,
Aaron in Japan here again. I am just about to brew my wedding beer...
an Oktoberfest Marzen. I have just finished building a 2 fermentor "Son of
the fermentation chiller". It's dual ice chambers are capable of holding 6
2liter bottles each. NOW, for the tough part. I have mounted computer fans
on BOTH baffles. I got a good deal on a digital Thermo and I bought a 24VAC
40 VA adapter. I can't seem to get things going. Here are the details...
The adapter has 3 terminals AC,G,AC(in that order from left to right on the
adapter)
The Thermo has 4 terminals marked R, W, G, Y
R-power in
W-Heating and Heating damper
Y-AC and AC damper
G-Fan
When I connected a wire from either AC terminal on the adapter to the R
terminal on the thermo...Nadda!!! Any ideas?? Before you tell me, I know the
SOFC instructions say don't use the digital thermos...It was all I could get
in a pinch. Thanks in advance for your help. If you email me prvately I can
send you digi photos of each unit.
Aaron
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 08:44:26 -0700
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin@sprint.ca>
Subject: Cornmeal
If I want to use corn meal in a mash , in place of brewers' flaked corn, do
I need to cook it first?
thanks
John Misrahi
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 08:40:51 -0400
From: "Michael Maag" <MichaelMaag@doli.state.va.us>
Subject: GFCI clarification
In Steve A's post on Many things, the seeming requirement
for a ground for a GFCI to function is misleading.
>A third wire representing an earth ground is also routed
to all modern sockets & 240vac circuits, but not to
lights or older style (pre 1960s) outlets. The earth
ground design permits the use of ground-fault-circuit-
interrupter(GFCI) sockets which are often required in
kitchens, baths, basements. You can also obtain GFCI-
breakers for some makes of breaker-box. GFCIs break the
circuit if there is any current mismath in the two
current carrying wires (for example if you are getting
shocked).>
A GFCI will function properly when wired to an
un-grounded circuit. As Steve noted, the GFCI detects
current differences in the hot and neutral.
This design is necessary to insure the GFCI will
function even if the grounding connection is lost.
Hope this helps,
Mike Maag, Industrial Safety Inspector
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 09:26:54 -0400
From: "Dave Burley" <Dave_Burley@charter.net>
Subject: boil time, 240 Volts, Boddington's, refractometer
Sorry, this was sent to the wrong HBD address, so is a little out of date.
Thanks Janitors for all your patience.
Brewsters:
Paul Kensler is correctly suspicious when told that boil time affects
fermentability and mouth feel, especially if malt enzymes affecting these
characteristics are implicated.
On the subject of % fermentability, all activity of conversion of starches
and dextrins by malt enzymes which affects the ratio of fermentable to
unfermentable carbohydrates ( % fermentability) ceases as the temperature
rises above 160+ F, so no effect on % fermentability after the beginning of
the boil.
Boil time as Paul correctly asserts affects hop extraction efficiency (which
can affect protein co-precipitation) , inversion of the hops acids and
evaporation of the hops oils and color from extracted hops anthocyanids and
oxidation.
So it is possible that a longer boil time under our typical homebrew
conditions can affect mouth feel by 1) protein ( which is the source of
mouth feel and not dextrins according to experts) co-precipitation with
hops components as well as 2) denaturization of the albuminoids and
consequent precipitation due to longer boiling 3) extraction of more bitter
components from the hops 4) darken the wort color due to extraction of
plant colorants and 5) oxidation , but not because of brewing conditions
brought about by malt enzymes.
- --------------------------
Dave from Oz is planning on moving to the Windy City and bringing his RIMS
equipment. He writes asking about the availability of 240V service in the
typical home. It is readily available and only amounts to running the proper
service wire from the circuit breaker box.. We also have 60 cycle current
which may affect your pump motors if they are set up to operate at 50
cycles.
- ---------------------
Greg unless your wife has enjoyed Boddington's on tap at its home in
Manchester, UK, chances are a clone will not match her desires.
Unfortunately, the newest fizzie in a can totally ruins Boddy giving it a
metallic taste and thin body totally unlike the real stuff. IMHO. This was
presumably fresh Boddy that was hand carried from the UK. But it was a few
years ago, so it may have improved.
- ---------------------
Pete Calinski is suggesting a mind game ( and an actual experiment) to
calibrate a refractometer for use in an alcohol/water/sugar solution. It
can be done. But if you choose to do it, why not use vodka ( 70% - read the
bottle) as a source of ethanol rather than the isopropanol ( rubbing
alcohol) you suggested, which often has other things in it and is not as
accurate in its percent composition as the government regulated vodka?
Remember you are measuring the refraction of light as an indicator of
composition. Different sugars, although close in values, have diffferent
refractive indexes.
I haven't sat down and done any calculations but it seems with a three
component system ( water, sugar, alcohol) the possibility of more than one
composition giving the same refractometer reading exists and may add some
confusion to the interpretation, especially when you have a complex system
such as beer.
.Keep on Brewin'
Dave Burley
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 09:32:44 -0400
From: "Steven Parfitt" <the_gimp98@hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: RIMS Heating Elements
A couple quick notes on RIMS Heating Elements.
1) Sample size 3, three manufacturers, Heating element bases will not rust.
Heating element bases and elements are copper with a metalic coating. I'm
not sure what the exact heating element composition is, mechanically
speaking. It appears that there is a central core of Nicrome wire which is
the actual resistance element. Over this is an insulating coating which
appears to be ceramic. The copper sheithing covers this, and is plated with
the white metalic coating.
2)I believe the coating is tin. The coating can be removed with the standard
pickling solution of Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide. You will need a tall
thin vase, or other vessel to hold the solution while stripping the heater
if you decide to do so. Try not to get the solution on the phenolic base
with the connectors (Screw Terminals) as this could interfere with proper
electrical connection later.
I'm moving from my old house to a new house(for me anyway). Brewing equpt is
in various boxes so I'm hoping I have good luck in moving it and don't loose
anything. How I managed to loose a jar of keys, box of yard sale stuf, and
the only MO Diskette copy of my Sportster rebuild when moving 3 miles with a
pick-up truck totally escapes me.
I'm suffering from "Brewing Withdrawl"....
Steven, -75 XLCH- Ironhead Nano-Brewery http://thegimp.8k.com
Johnson City, TN [422.7, 169.2] Rennerian
"Fools you are... who say you like to learn from your mistakes.... I prefer
to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the cost of my own." Otto von
Bismarck
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 10:30:09 -0400
From: Marc Sedam <marc_sedam@unc.edu>
Subject: "Making" beer ready for the 4th
Bill sez...
"I took another hydrometer reading and it is down to about
1.012. Last time fermentation seemed to stop at about 1.010
so it should be
close, but I would like to get some CO2 into it and give it
a chance to sit
again after it was carbonated. Does anyone have any
comments on this idea?
Am I asking for trouble or to ruin an otherwise good batch
of beer?"
I may be a little late as you posted this on Saturday (more
likely sent the post Friday) and it's Monday morning...but
send that beer to a keg! If you KNOW when the beer is
supposed to stop fermenting (in terms of SG), then you can
rack to your serving vessel when the beer is about 0.002 SG
units from completion. That would be now...or Friday...or
whatever. The beer will finish fermenting but instead of
having the CO2 leave the closed fermenter via airlock, it
will carbonate your beer. I think this is called "spunding"
but I forget.
Anyway, since I never brew the same beer twice I lack the
ability to do this with any accuracy. So brew as I say, not
as I brew. :-)
Cheers!
Marc
P.S. Great to meet some of y'all at the NHC. Sorry I
couldn't make the official HBD lunch, but I was glad to see
that mash hopping was being tried successfully by many of
the brewers at the conference. Maybe next year in Chicago I
can do a comparison of "regular" hopped beer, MH beer, and
FWH beer. Sounds interesting....
- --
Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 07:33:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Calvin Perilloux <calvinperilloux@yahoo.com>
Subject: US Electrical System - 240V
Dave, the self-described confused Aussie, writes about
bringing his Australian 240V RIMS systems with him to
the States...
No worries, Dave. Well, not toooo many worries, depending.
Most houses in the USA do have 240V available, but the main
question you'll have is whether it's accessible to you.
If you've got a 240V dryer outlet, you're set! Well,
I thought I was until the wife realised that I didn't
really want the beer fridge unplugged every time she
needed to do a load of clothes.
If you're buying a house, you can run your own 240V line,
or have an electrician do it. The "per code" sockets are
not that same as you use in Australia, but that's a minor
mattre of rewiring your RIMS cord to a US socket.
(Installing the Aussie sockets in your wall, though
it looks cool, won't win you any awards with the house
inspector when you go to sell your house!)
If you're renting, I don't know if your landlord would
be too pleased at you running new electric lines, even
if you do find room in the breaker box for them (which
you might not in an apartment or even in some houses
that are maxed out).
Oh yeah, It is possible that you'll live in a place
where you'll have a 240V outlet for window aircon units
that oyu can use for your RIMS instead. Check the amps
you'll draw if you have ideas of piggy-backing RIMS *and*
and aircon unit, which is probably not a good idea
anyway, given the large startup surges involved --
it'll probably be one of the other, beer or aircon!
And failing all that, depending on your RIMS current
requirements, you can get a 120v->240v transformer,
keeping in mind that you'll really load that 120v
circuit, since it'll draw twice the current through
the 120v as you use at 240v, not to mention the added
large inefficiency of the transformer. Actually, on
second thought, NO. For large appliances and heating
devices like you have, the cost of the transformer
itself is just too high to justify, though that's an
option for your other toys you might bring along.
With my Aussie beer fridge purring away happily,
here in the USA...
Calvin Perilloux
Middletown, Maryland, USA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 08:41:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: "H. Dowda" <hdowda@yahoo.com>
Subject: 4th Annual Palmetto State Brewers' Open
The 4th is off and running. Innovations retained from
last year include no category compression, all you
care to enter for $32 and the Just Good Beer Brew-off.
This year we are adding a Mead/Cider competition with
its own BOS and cash awards of $50,30 and 20 for 1-2-3
in the AHA registered beer competition.
September 28, 2002, deadline September 21, 2002
Full details:
http://www.sagecat.com/psb.htm
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 09:25:58 -0700
From: "Hedglin, Nils A" <nils.a.hedglin@intel.com>
Subject: Gypsum & Bottle Chilling
Hi,
I made some oatmeal stout last week & since we have a water softener, I
was going to add some gypsum. Unfortunately, I was almost at the end of the
mash when I realized I didn't know when to add it. Should it go in the mash
liquor, or in the boil? I'm assuming the former, but added to the boil just
in case.
Also, I vaguely remember reading somewhere that if you chill a bottle of
beer too fast, it might gush. Is this true? I had batch of brown ale that
I bottled last week, in a room that was about 80 degrees. I stuck it in the
freezer for about 30 minutes & when I opened it, it gushed out all over.
I'm really hoping it's not contamenated or that I over carbonated it.
Thanks,
Nils
Sacramento, CA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 16:28:11 -0400
From: "Pete Calinski" <pjcalinski@adelphia.net>
Subject: SG & Alcohol As of 7/1/02
I will try here to summarize the responses and resolve conflicts. (And
probably show my ignorance of the subject.)
In my original post, I was trying to find a method of making "calibrated"
solutions that simulate the solutions that evolve during the fermentation
process. These solutions could then be used to correct the readings from a
refractometer or other device.
Louis said,
- ---------
"First, I think Pete is a tad confused with the terminology. Degrees Plato
is nothing more than a metric based on sucrose solutions (e.g., 4 Plato is a
density measurement equivalent to a 4% w/w solution of sucrose in pure
water), as opposed to specific gravity, which is a metric of the ratio of
the weight of the test solution to an identical volume of pure water "
- -------------
I think that is exactly what I said. I said,
+++++++++++++
"I will use what I think are the standard definitions of:
Plato = (weight of sugar)/(weight of sugar + weight of water),
SG = (weight of a volume of solution under test)/(weight of equal volume of
pure water)".
+++++++++++++
Although I didn't say sucrose explicitly.
Louis then said,
****************
"Oops, just noticed a mistake in my post . .
I gave an example of a Plato measurement as "equivalent to a 4% w/w
solution of sucrose in pure water." Wrongo. I should have said
"equivalent to 4 g of sucrose in 100ml of solution." "
****************
I think I prefer the first definition. The one with the Opps is only
correct at the temperature where 1 ml water = 1 mg. (4 degrees C I believe).
At other temperatures, the water expands.
Louis then gets near the answer I wanted referencing his HBD posting and
ProMash. I tried to use the posting from 7 Jan, 1999 before I posted the
original on the subject but I couldn't get it to match ProMash. I will try
again.
Steve Alexander didn't like my definition of SG saying,
///////////
">SG = (weight of a volume of solution under test)/
>(weight of equal volume of pure water)
Throw in the temp and I'll give that a pass"
//////////
It is just a nit but, if one could make a hydrometer with the same thermal
expansion characteristics as the solution under test, then temperature
corrections would not be needed. Think about it.
Steve points out that Plato is based on sucrose and,
########
"Wort extract is 80% carbs, 65% fermentable and only a few percent of that
is sucrose."
########
That could be very important to what I am trying to do.
Anyhow, as I said, I was trying to find a method of making "calibrated"
solutions that simulate the solutions that evolve during the fermentation
process. These solutions could then be used to correct the readings from a
refractometer (or other device for that matter). So for a first
approximation (excluding differences between wort and sucrose for now),
could I use distilled water, table sugar and isopropyl alcohol to reasonably
approximate the solutions found at, say 4 points in the fermentation
process? To use Steve's example of OG=1.0483, or OP=12, I could make a
solution of 13.6 mg of sucrose in 100 ml of H2O. That would yield:
13.6/(100+13.6)=12 P.
Now, for the next solution, at 1/4 th fermented, P=9. Using Louis' and
Domenick's:
A = (OE-RE) / [2.0665- (0.010665 x OE)] {by weight}
ABW=(12-9)/(2.0665-0.010665*12)= 1.55 %
(I confirmed it is ABW from Domenick's website.)
To simulate that with, say 70% isopropyl, I would combine 100 mg H2O with
10.14 mg of sucrose and 2.49 of isopropyl. That would give me:
10.14/(100+10.14+2.49)= 9 P and
2.49*0.7/(100+10.14+2.47)=1.55 % ABW
Is this on the right track?
Can I use the same process to simulate the 50%, 75% and 100% fermented
cases?
How can I get a handle on how much this method is in error?
I have more questions but that is enough for now.
Thanks, Domenick, Louis, and Steve.
(And why is it Demonick in the "From" field and Domenick in the "sig" field?
Pete Calinski
East Amherst NY
Near Buffalo NY
***********************************************************
*My goal:
* Go through life and never drink the same beer twice.
* (As long as it doesn't mean I have to skip a beer.)
***********************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 16:00:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Sarette <j2saret@yahoo.com>
Subject: Partial mash modified batch sparge
Nathan Hoskins" <NathanHoskins@HotPop.com>
Says: Efficient Talk and All.
Nathan's post brought on a wave of nostalgia. I
started home brewing when I won a "beer machine" at
work. I brewed the worst beer I had ever tasted! I
sure can sympthize with you. After several successful
extract brews I stepped up to mashing. I have
valuable advice for you: If you are partial mashing
avoid all the lauter tun sprinkle mash advice the
books give you. You will get horrible effeciency
(effeciency to me is what specific gravity you will
get compared to the chart in any of Dave Miller's
books) After a series of health crisis I am brewing
again but cannot lift more than 35 lbs. I now mash no
more than 5 lbs of grains in a kettle and batch
sparge: I mash in about 2 gallons of water and sparge
with an additional two gallons of water. I drain my
mash by dumping it in an eight quart strainer over a
5.5 gallon pot. I recirculate the wort by dumping it
back through the grains twice and then sparge with the
2 gallons of 170 deg water. The four beers I have
brewed with this technique have hit the projected
initial gravities exactly and the brews do not taste
"grainy". This list has exposed me to the term batch
sparge and a google search lead me to believe that
what I am doing is called batch spargeing. I works
great for partial mashing.
Good luck
John S.
j2saret@homemail.com
p.s. A beer I had brewed but not bottles spent four
years in a glass fermenter in the basement. I drank
the last bottle of it last week and was sorry to see
it go.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #3978, 07/02/02
*************************************
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